- Dr Mozayeni brings deep experience in biotech corporate
strategy and business development
- Appointment follows successful £35 million Series
A fundraise at the end of 2024 to take its MSH3 inhibitors to
treat Huntington's disease into
the clinic
CAMBRIDGE, England, Feb. 18,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- LoQus23 Therapeutics Ltd
("LoQus23"), a private biotechnology company investigating small
molecule drugs that could stop the pathogenic triplet expansion
that is the cause and driver of Huntington's Disease, myotonic dystrophy type
1, and other triplet repeat expansion diseases, today announces the
appointment of Dr Cyrus Mozayeni as
its Chair of the Board of Directors.
Dr Mozayeni is a highly experienced biotech entrepreneur with a
track record of more than 20-years spearheading growth and
strategic business development for life sciences companies. Dr
Mozayeni is currently CEO of Pheon Therapeutics (Pheon), a leading
antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) company developing next generation
ADCs for a wide range of hard-to-treat cancers. He recently led
Pheon through a successful $120
million Series B financing round in May 2024.
Dr David Reynolds, Chief
Executive Officer of LoQus23 Therapeutics, commented:
"Following our successful fundraise late last year, the Company
is at a pivotal moment as we progress towards IND-enabling studies
of our potent allosteric small molecule MSH3 inhibitor, part
of the MutSβ complex. Cyrus brings a wealth of world
class biotech expertise to guide us at this critical time and will
help us to deliver treatments for patients with Huntington's and similar triplet repeat
expansion diseases."
Dr Cyrus Mozayeni, newly
appointed Chair of the Board of Directors of LoQus23, added:
"The science behind LoQus23's unique approach is hugely
promising. Several recent high-profile papers provide
unequivocal support for the development of treatments
targeting somatic CAG repeat expansion – the foundation of our
approach. I look forward to working with the Board and
the Leadership Team to help deliver the lead asset into the clinic
and beyond."
As an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Atlas Venture, Dr Mozayeni
launched Vedere Bio and served as President & CEO from
inception through to its sale to Novartis. Before joining Atlas
Venture, Dr Mozayeni was co-founder of CODA Biotherapeutics, and
Oncorus, where he served as President and CBO. He also served as VP
and Global Head of Business Development and Alliance Management at
Nasdaq listed Bluebird Bio, where his efforts led to a
clinical-stage CAR T-cell program (ABECMA®, idecabtagene vicleucel)
in collaboration with Celgene, and a successful IPO. A qualified
Doctor of Medicine, Dr Mozayeni is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Medicine and holds
both an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University and an Sc.B. in
Neuroscience from Brown University.
In October 2024, LoQus23 announced
the successful close of its £35 million Series A financing round
led by Forbion, alongside existing investors SV Health Investors'
Dementia Discovery Fund and Novartis Venture Fund. The Company has
since established a platform of assays and small molecule series of
MutSα and MutSβ inhibitors which are therapeutically relevant in
numerous triplet repeat diseases, including Huntington's Disease.
Notes to Editors
About LoQus23 Therapeutics Ltd
LoQus23 is a biotech
company based in Cambridge, UK,
developing small molecule somatic expansion inhibitors for the
treatment of Huntington's Disease
and other triplet repeat expansion diseases. Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant
neurodegenerative disorder for which there is currently no disease
modifying treatment available and which currently has 30,000
patients in the US alone.
LoQus23's approach has the potential to stop DNA instability and
therefore slow neurodegeneration in these diseases. LoQus23 is
focused on using a structure-based approach to design small
molecule drugs, which can offer more convenient administration than
other approaches. Oral small molecule drugs have a strong track
record in treating complex brain diseases and provide greater
convenience for patients compared with other advanced treatment
modalities. LoQus23's lead programme, a potent allosteric small
molecule MSH3 inhibitor, part of the MutSβ complex, will enter the
clinic in 2026.
LoQus23 has a highly experienced leadership team, built on
world-class science. It was originally established in 2019 by Dr
David Reynolds, Dr Caroline Benn, and Dr Ruth McKernan CBE, FMedSci, Entrepreneurs in
Residence at SV Health Investors' Dementia Discovery Fund, which
also acted as the initial seed investor. In October 2024, the Company closed a successful £35
million Series A financing round led by Forbion, alongside existing
investors SV Health Investors' Dementia Discovery Fund and Novartis
Venture Fund.
For more information, please visit: www.loqus23.com
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